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H. ELP-PING.

GRUGIBLE FURNAGE.

No. 356,061. Patented Jan. 11, 1887.

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H. EPPING.

GRUIBLE FURNAGE.A 110.356,061. Patented Jan. 11,1887.

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Unirse STATES ArnNr Ormes..

HENRY EPPING, OF PITTSBURG, PA., ASSIGNOR OF FOUR-FIFTHS TO W. H. CARPENTER', EDVARD FRAUENHEIM, L. VILLSACK, AND` H. `KABER.

CRUCIBLE-FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,061, dated January 11, 1887.

Application filed November 9, 1885. Serial No. 182,309. (No model.)

i To aZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HENRY EPPING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg,

' in the county of Allegheny and State of Penn- Sylvania, have made a new anduseful Improvement in Crucible-Furnaces Designed for Melting and Refining Metals in Pots or Crucibles, of which the following is a specification.

I will proceed to describe the same by refer- Io ence to the accompanying` drawings,wherein- Figure 1 represents a transverse vertical section on the line a a of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a transverse' section on the bent line b b of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a front elevation of the furnace,pa`rtly in vert-ical scction,on the bent linee c of Fig. 2; Fig. et, a vertical section of the same on'the line e e of Fig. 2.

I build my improved furnace of any requisite size and form, so that the body ofthe zo structure shall comprise a working or melting chamber, 1, of sufficient depth and dimensions to contain a pot or crucible, 2, and leave a space around and over it for the action and unobstructed passage of a flame. For conven- 2 5 ience, the top of this melting-chamber 1 is on a level with the workshop-floor 3, and is provided with a removable lid or cover, 4, after the manner of furnaces in use among brassfounders generally. The bottom5 of this melting-chamber l consists of a thick mass of clay,

sand, bricks, or other refractory and heat-sustaining material supported by a heavy iron plate, 6, that may be laid upon the usual gratebars, where they exist in an old furnace altered 3 5 and adapted to subserve the object of my invention.

Forming part of this furnace, but separated therefrom a short distance, is a strong wall, 7, inclosing an intervening space or vertical 4o chamber, 8, the lower part, 9, of which is gradually contracted upward to or near the middle of the space, forming a narrow passage-way, 10, leading into the upper part, 11, that by three branch iiues communicates with the melting chamber 1 at or n ear equidistant points. One of these flues issimply a straight opening, 12, arranged to direct the iiame against the front of the pot or crhcible 2, and the other ilues, 13 14, are curved around to 5o enter the melting-chamber at opposite sides,

nearly behind the pot. Midway between the curved flues is a short passage-way, 15, into the chimney 16,for carrying off the waste products of combustion.

Above the Hoor ofthe workshop and outside the furnaceis a large pipe, 17, connected with a gas-well or source of gas under pressure, and from this main pipe a small branch pipe, 18, projects outwardly, and by suitable bends is continued down and into the lower- 6o most chamber, 9, at or near its bottom, where it terminates in an open upturned end, 19, through which gas can fiow, regulated and controlled by a small valve or cock, 20, near the top of said branch pipe. 65

Through the front wall, 7,-of the furnace, and just above the lower end of the gas-pipe 18, are open ducts 21, for supplying air to the ingoing gas at that point, which, on being ignited, will produce a flame that, in ascending, 7o will meet with an additional supply of air through other and similar ducts,22,on its Way through the contracted passage 10 into the upper chamber, 11, whereby a better combustion takes place and a greater amount of heat is generated, being augmented and intensified in that respect as it expands and Hows onward into the melting-chamber,where it circulates around the crucible at its maximum degree of heat, soon bringing any ordinary metal con- 8o tained within the Crucible to a molten or fluid condition, with less oxidation than by any other means or fuel heretofore in use amongv brass or steel melters.

I am aware that it is not new in cruciblefurnaces to employ an air and a gas mixing chamber outside of the Crucible-chamber and to conduct the flame into the latter chamber through different passages,- and therefore I disclaim such device. My object is to improve, 9o simplify, and to render more perfect such furnaces.

Having thus briefly described my invention,

I claim-I .1. In a gas Crucible-furnace, the combination, with the Crucible-chamber, of the direct and air, substantially as described. ICQ

traction, and a gas-supply pipe terminating inv said iiue opposite the lower air-supply passages, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a furnace of the character described, of the gas and air mixing and combustion chambers 9 and 11, the intermediate contracted passage opposite air-inlets,

theI air-inlets leading into the primary cornbustion-chamber,the air-inlets at the said contracted passage, the broad passage 12, the side and direct passages leading into the Cruciblechamber, and the outletleading therefrom into an uptake, all constructed and adapted t0 0perate substantiallyas and for the purposes de- 2o scribed.

HENRY EPPING.

Witnesses:

JosIAH W. ELLIS, W-. H. CARPENTER. f 

